Someday
by themindofmine
Summary: Eliot doesn't know how to make Kenna understand about his past and he surly can't make her see that they are not good for eachother and that someday may never come. Read The BFF Job if you want to get to know Kenna!
1. Chapter 1

Someday

Chapter One

The lightning lit up the sky like the Fourth of July. The rain was falling heavier than it had in a very long time. Thunder rolled for hours on end. The night grew darker and darker. The bathroom door was always open and the small nightlight illuminated the room just enough to make him feel comfortable. He knew the chances of a black out were getting better with every lighting strike so he checked his lighter one more time before he set it on his bed side table with a pillar candle he had dug out of the closet earlier. It had been a long couple of days. The job they did lasted longer than it should of and took a hell of a lot more muscle then they thought it would. Parker had been close to getting caught and when he went to pull her out he got caught up in the fight and nearly got busted himself. That was sloppy and he knew it. He felt the coldness of the ice pack before he heard the person who put it there.

"Do you ever knock?" Eliot didn't open his eyes.

"Thieves don't knock. I think it's a rule or something." Parker sat down on the other side of the bed.

"I guess that ruins the whole concept." He answered.

"You should call Kenna." Eliot had heard that every day for the past month and a half. Usually she didn't tell him at four in the morning but I guess she had forgotten to with all the close calls they had today.

"Kenna needs a fresh start and a good man. I'm neither."

"But you had sex with her." Eliot groaned.

"Parker…just because people…have sex it doesn't mean they even like each other."

"But you like Kenna."

"I like Kenna. I might even love Kenna, Parker but no one else needs to be pulled into my life."

"You need her in your life. I like her in your life." Parker lay down next to him and stared at him. His eyes were closed and his hair was all messy. "I wish we could have kept her."

"Parker, Kenna isn't a puppy." She smiled and laid down flat on her back and looked at the ceiling.

"I know that. But she was nice to have around. And she was house broken." Eliot chuckled.

"Go to sleep crazy girl. Tomorrow is another day." Eliot fell asleep and dreamed about good things for once. Blond hair and shining brown eyes. Whispers in the dark and mind blowing sex and taking one beautiful woman on the wildest ride of her life.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

When Eliot awoke Parker was gone. She came in and out of his apartment like…well a thief in the night. The lights were on and the day was as dark and gloomy as the night before. He was hoping for a nice quiet Sunday but when he got to Nate's it was nothing but quiet. Hardison and Parker were fighting over some game they were playing and Sophie and Nate were loudly disagreeing on something in the newspaper they were reading at the table. Before anyone noticed Eliot slipped out the door and headed to the coffee shop down the street.

The walk in the misty rain was starting to clear his head. He walked down the sidewalk not really seeing the people around him but knowing that they were there and that at any moment one of them might turn on him. It was a dangerous life he lived and wouldn't wish it on anyone but he was lonely. Rainy days made it worse. It seemed like everyone had someone on a rainy day. Couples walked down the street holding umbrellas and each other. It was kind of sickening if you asked him. A small sound made him stop in his tracks. It was a voice. A voice he knew but couldn't put his finger on from where. He took a step back and the door of the old fire house was open. There were two people under the ambulance parked in the bay. One was a woman he could tell that much. He took a step closer. A tall blond firefighter stepped out of the office just inside the door.

"Something I can do for you?" The man asked Eliot.

"No. I thought I…sorry just thought I saw someone I knew." Eliot stepped out of the door and headed down to the café next door. He was losing it. Now he was hearing Kenna's voice in his head when he was awake. It was bad enough that she haunted his dreams but now she was there when he was awake too. Eliot sat in the corner booth with his eyes on the front door like always. Things were not going like they should. Maybe he would call Jodi later and check on Kenna. He knew that he would have to confront his memories sooner or later but he just wasn't ready yet. The waitress came and took his order and he grabbed the paper and prayed for a quiet breakfast

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Eliot was gone. His bed was made, his clothes were in the hamper but he was gone. Parker looked around the room. The lighter and the candle still sat on the bedside table. He didn't go far because next to his knife his lighter was his best friend. He hadn't made coffee in his own apartment this morning so maybe he had gone out for some. There was two ways he would have gone. Three blocks up to Starbucks or two blocks south to the Three Alarm Café. Parker started to panic. If he went to the Three Alarm…he would have to pass the fire station and if he passed the fire station….

"Alec!" Parker ran out of Eliot's apartment hoping she wasn't too late to.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

The bell on the door rang just after Eliot got his eggs. He glanced up to see a group of firefighters picking up a coffee order. As he went back to his eggs he heard a woman laugh. Not just any woman. McKenna Shane Hawks. Looking up again he saw her. Her honey blond hair up in a pony tail. She was dressed in a paramedic's jump suit and she looked like a mirage. But she was real and she was standing not twenty feet from him.

"Kenna." To him it sounded like a whisper but she turned around and looked at him. Tilting her head she looked at him, smiled and turned back to the man she was talking to. Was she really going to pretend she didn't know him or was she making an excuse to walk over and talk to him? It seemed like an eternity….

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"You were supposed to tell him last night." Hardison walked down the street as fast as he could without losing Parker in the swarm of people just leaving church services at the chapel a block from the fire station.

"He wanted to go to sleep. I tried to tell him. Well at least I tried to get him to call her."

"When has that worked? For weeks you tell him and tell him and he never calls her. How hard was it to say 'Hey Eliot…Kenna got a job…want to know where…at the fire station on the next block.' How hard Parker?"

"When has Eliot ever made anything easy?" There was a group of fire personal coming out of the diner. Hardison said a little prayer that Kenna had the day off. He pulled open the door and saw them. They were both standing at the back of the diner. Eliot's eyes full of rage.

"Oh this is so not going to be good." Parker looked around him and saw the look on the hitters face.

"Maybe we should just let them…you know…say hello." Parker started backing out of the café but Hardison pulled her back in. They stood and watched the drama unfold.

"Kenna." Eliot ground out.

"Hey cowboy." She answered with her southern girl drawl. "I bet you thought you wouldn't see me again so soon."

"What are you doing here?"

"I got a job with the Boston Fire and Rescue."

"How long have they known?" Eliot asked as he looked over her shoulder and saw the thief and the hacker standing at the front door. Kenna turned and saw her two new friends. Turning back to him she shrugged her shoulders.

"A week. I told them not to tell you that I was in town till I decided on the job." She answered coving her ass and theirs. "I still don't know if I'm going to stay. All this rain." Kenna shivered. Eliot flinched. Kenna hated the rain. Even worse she hated the thunder and the lighting that came with it. Last night must have been hard on her.

"It's not always like this."

"I heard it was the wettest spring in Boston history." She looked at her old friend. His face still full of anger. "I'm sorry I didn't call."

"It's your life sweetheart. You don't have to check in with me." He tried to sound like he didn't care what she did but it sounded more like he was hurt that she didn't want him to know that she was in the same town.

"Things didn't end well the last time we were together."

"Then maybe we should just stay clear of one another. It's a big city." She looked at him.

"You really think that's the best way to hand this. Just keep out of each other's way and it'll all be good?"

"Yeah, I think that's the best thing for both of us." Kenna chuckled.

"You got it baby." She turned and headed out the door; she turned and looked back at him. "Call your sister. She needs to talk to you." Kenna gave Hardison and Parker a quick hug and headed back to the fire station and Eliot sat back down and finished his breakfast.

"We'll it could of gone worse." Parker said to Hardison.

"Yeah, the place is still standing." He replied and they both turned and left leaving their hitter alone to wallow in his own grief.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

Eliot stared at the phone in his hand for nearly an hour before he got the nerve to dial the number he knew by heart but never put in his phone. If he got caught he didn't want anyone to know about Jodi. If they did they would use her and Kyle against him and that wouldn't be a good thing. Dialing, he put the phone to his ear, leaned back and closed his eyes.

"Hello." A young boy's voice sounded in his ear.

"Kyle?"

"Yeah, who's this?"

"It's your uncle Eliot."

"Really!" The boy was excited. "It's been like forever."

"Yeah it has been buddy. I've been swamped at work but I guarantee I'll be your way soon and we can go fishing at that little spot not too far from your grandma's."

"Sounds great. Do you want to talk to ma?"

"You bet. Take care Kyle."

"You too Uncle Eliot." He heard the boy yelling for his mother and his mother telling him to quit yelling.

"It's about time your sorry ass called me."

"Good afternoon to you to baby sister."

"Have you talked to our girl?"

"Briefly. We're not seeing eye to eye on things lately. One being the fact she moved to Boston without telling me."

"Last I heard it's a free country."

"Coming from a back woods bumpkin like you that's not saying much."

"You know I can still whip your ass Eliot Spencer." Jodi laughed. "Are you going to find some time in your busy schedule for your family anytime soon?"

"You know it's not safe for me to just up and come there."

"You're the best when it comes to the long way home so stop making excuses. I want you home for Thanksgiving at least. Bring your crew. They need a good meal now and then."

"I hook them up once in awhile."

"Thanksgiving Eliot. Then you can meet your niece." Eliot was silent. "Hello…Eliot?"

"Niece?"

"Yeah. She'll be here by then."

"You and Charlie…"

"Yes dear brother. We've been together for nearly eight years. It's about time."

"I guess. I'm sorry Jodi…congratulations. I'm happy for the both of you." He was happy for them, a little jealous too.

"I know you don't want to hear this Eliot but Kenna is the one person in the world that knows you and still wants to be in the same area code with you so please don't do anything that might make her run from you."

"Kenna Shane is a big girl Jodi. I'm not her keeper and I really don't want to have this conversation with you right now. I'll see what I can do about Thanksgiving but I'm not making any promises."

"Okay. Just don't push her away again. That's all I ask. I love you." She said softly.

"Me too. Take care." Eliot hit the end button and threw the phone on the ground and shattered it. Taking his boot he crushed the thing so there was no chance of it ever being used again. He scooped up the pieces and threw them into the fireplace and sat down on the couch. The pillow still smelled of her sweet perfume. He leaned back and closed his eyes. Today when he saw her in the diner he felt like someone had punched him in the stomach.

"Is everything okay in Kentucky?" Parker ask. She was sitting somewhere in front of him but he didn't open his eyes.

"Yeah, peachy."

"You broke the phone."

"I like to do that now and then. Parker, do you need something? Because if your just here to ask dumb ass questions I would rather you left." He felt her sink into the couch and put her feet up on the coffee table.

"I should of told you about Kenna last night…but the job and then the storm."

"Yeah well next time you want to tell me something just spit it out."

"I like Kenna." Eliot turned his head and looked at the blond next to him. She was honest if not overly so sometimes.

"I like her to Parker."

"Then why does she make you so…mean." He closed his eyes again and rubbed his face with his hands.

"Parker…I guess it's because we are so damn much alike it just gets in the way."

"Isn't having things in common a good thing?"

"It's not like liking the same pizza toppings. It's like being stubborn and not knowing when to say when and not backing down until the jobs done. We fight just as hard as we…"

"Have sex?" Eliot opened his eyes and looked into Parkers.

"Make love, crazy girl. I was going to say make love." She smiled.

"That's more complicated then…now I see your dilemma." He chuckled.

"Why do I tell you the things I do?"

"Because that's what friends do. They share."

"I think I've done some over sharing lately."

"Do you want to know about me and Alec?" Eliot shut his eyes and shook his head.

"NO! God no…I mean if you…no." He stood up."Ah Parker now you got things going on in my head I didn't need going on in there." Going to the fridge Eliot got a beer. "You want one?"

"Yeah, thanks." He handed her a bottle.

"I guess if you need someone to talk to and Sophie or Nate aren't around…I could…only if it's an emergency." Parker smiled around her beer bottle.

"I promise…only if it's an emergency. You need to talk to her Eliot. She's really messed up since Jimmy."

"What do mean?"

"Just talk to her. You know her better than anyone else…even Jodi." He knew Parker was right but things had gone really wrong after the show down in New York and he wasn't sure he could save what they had left.

(Flashback)

"You can't or you won't Kenna?" Eliot said through clenched teeth.

"What does it matter Eliot. Until we can tell each other everything that happened over the last few years we don't stand a chance." Kenna looked out the truck window and crossed her arms over her chest.

"No one needs to share the hell that I've been through. Especially you. I don't need you looking at me and feeling sorry for what I've seen and done."

"Eliot, you made your bed and if it dragged you though hell and back it's what made you the man you are today. A man I want to get to know better. A man I might want to have some sort of life with."

"You don't want to begin to imagine what kind of hell I've been though baby. Even if I told you, you wouldn't believe me." Kenna took her bag off the seat.

"Thanks for nothing Eliot. Call me if you decide that I'm good for more than out of this world sex."

"Kenna…" He reached for her but she pulled away. She slammed the door behind her and headed into the hotel. He screwed up and there was no amount of apologizing that would make it all right again.

(Present)

Eliot stared at a phone for the second time in as many hours. This one was his own and it had her number stored deep within its memory. He should call her. He needed to call her and at least make things right between them. He was about to dial when it rang. Seeing it was Nate he answered it.

"Yeah."

"I need you down in the bar. We have a case." Eliot pursed his lips.

"I'll be right down." Kenna would have to wait. Today wasn't the day. Maybe tomorrow…or someday soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Someday

Chapter Two

Eliot hadn't moved a muscle in nearly an hour and it was driving Hardison up the wall. The man was a statue. Twice he felt like throwing a gummy frog at him to see if he would flinch but it wasn't worth the broken nose he would surly get if and when Eliot decided to move.

"Can this get any more boring?" Two nights they had sat watching their mark. For two nights they did nothing but watch the man do things no human should ever be allowed to do.

"Will you stop whining?" Eliot answered, the only thing moving were his lips.

"Man I can only take so much naked Dance, Dance Revolution."

"Ah come on he played naked Guitar Hero for you last night." Eliot tried not to smile.

"You're enjoying this." Hardison accused.

"Oh right I love sitting here watching a forty year old man dance naked in front of his window for two nights straight."

"If you want to talk about something other than the naked man we can you know?"

"Like what?"

"We could discuss the fact that two days have gone by and you haven't said a word about your close encounter with Kenna."

"I'm not talking about Kenna with you or anybody any more. It's done and over. She's here and there's nothing I can do about it but I don't have to like it."

"_Will you two stop your chit chat and pay attention to our mark." Nat said in both their ears. _Eliot glared at Hardison and went back to his statue like posture.

"You should come and watch out mark Nate. See how you like watching a naked man with all the wrong moves." Hardison said as he looked at Eliot again. "She's like us Eliot. More then you'll ever know or want to find out. Just remember that." The rest of the night was quiet and uneventful.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

Another end to another con almost gone wrong. Eliot was getting really tired of close calls and almost getting gone. Parker was fussing over the gaping hole in his shoulder. He flinched and he pulled back.

"Sorry." She looked at Hardison and shook her head. "Eliot the bullet is right next to your clavicle."

"So just yank it. It wouldn't be the first time." Hardison stood and went out of the room.

"Eliot the blood's not stopping."

"Just fix it Parker." She pressed harder against his shoulder. The pain was nearly unbearable when the pressure pushed the bulled closer to his clavicle. "Jesus Parker show a little compassion."

"Just leave it in there Parker; maybe the lead will soften his disposition." Kenna stood at the door way of Eliot's bedroom. Even in the shapeless paramedic jumpsuit she looked like an angle.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Eliot ground out between clenched teeth.

"Hardison called and said you got winged and needed a little skill to get you back in the game." Kenna put her bag down on the bed and kneeled in front of him.

"Don't…" He rolled his shoulder away from her.

"Don't be a baby." She pulled him closer to her and Parker moved the blood stained towel from his shoulder. "Where are Nate and Sophie?" She looked at the younger woman. Parker handed her a com. "Thanks." She put it in her ear.

"_How bad Kenna?"_

"He'll live but he's losing a whole lot of blood. I need some O negative if you can swing it."

"_I'm on it. Take care of him Kenna."_

"You know I will." She pressed hard against the bleeding wound. "Okay tough guy I would like to tell you this isn't going to hurt a bit but I never lied to you so it's gonna hurt like hell." She removed the blood stained gauze and injected litocane around the entrance wound,

"Damn Kenna Shane, if I didn't know better I'd say you're doing this on purpose."

"Oh yeah I live to cause you pain." She looked at Parker. "Lay down that sheet." Parker spread it behind Eliot. "Okay lay down and we'll get this bulled out before it causes any more damage."

"You're not a doctor." Eliot spat out.

"Five minutes ago you were telling Parker to get the bullet out so count your blessings I was still at work and able to get here before she went digging for it." He looked at her. Her golden blond hair was up in a French braid. She was breathtaking…

"I don't need you." His words were slurred and he was close to losing consciousness.

"I'm sorry to hear that cowboy but I have it on good authority that you just might need me more then you care to admit." She started an IV and ejected another sedative. "Sweet dreams sweetheart." Kenna watched as his eyelids fluttered and he was out.

"Can we get some of that…?" Parker looked at Kenna.

"He is kind of harmless when he sleeps." Kenna returned as she got the scalpel out of her bag. "I'm afraid sooner or later it will ware of and he's going to wake up a very angry SOB."

"No different from before he passed out." Hardison said from the door. "Nate's on his way up with the blood and Sophie's gone to brief the client."

"I hope this was all worth it." Kenna said as she slowly enlarged the hole that the bullet entered.

"I think Eliot would tell you it was."

"Woman, children or animals?" Kenna asked, not looking up from her work.

"All three." Hardison answered. Kenna smiled.

"Gotta love a man who loves kids and animals." Nate came in with the blood.

"How's he doing?" Nate asked.

"Like a trooper." Kenna answered as she pulled the bullet out and cleaned the wound. "Nate you can connect the bag to his IV." Nate was old hand at changing IV's. He had done it for Sam more than once. He attached the bag and turned to the young woman working on his hitter.

"Thank you for stepping up."

"I owe you one for getting my life back for me." She looked up. "Don't be afraid to call me if things get beyond some bruised ribs."

"Eliot won't like that."

"Eliot doesn't need to know." She closed up the bullet hole and cleaned up the rest of the wound. Motioning to Hardison he grabbed the sheet and they pulled Eliot across the bed and made him as comfortable as they could. Kenna adjusted the IV and hung it from a coat rack Parker had found somewhere.

"He's okay?" Parker asked.

"He will be." Kenna put a bottle of pills into her hand. "Just Tylenol. He won't take anything stronger." She gathered up her things and went to the bathroom to clean up.

"She's hurting almost as bad as he is." Hardison said to Nate.

"Yeah well, best we stay out of it Hardison. Tell Parker to back off too."

"Yeah, will do." He left the room. Nate looked at Eliot.

"He's going to wake up more pissed than usual." Kenna said as she came back into the room.

"Better pissed then dead, I always say." Kenna smiled.

"Let me know if there's any redness or swelling. I put some antibiotics in his drip but he may need more. Give me a call. I'm hooked up with the free clinic on Freemont." Nate looked at Kenna. She had it together; he had to give her that.

"Thank you."

"Anything to make the big guy sqrim." She got her jacket. "Take care Nate." She said as she left, saying her goodbyes to the rest of the team along the way. When she was safely in her car she broke down. Eliot could have died today and she didn't how she would handle it if he was gone from her life.

"We should tell her she still has her com in." Parker said to Hardison.

"Just turn them off." Nate said. Parker looked at her boss. She wanted to go down to Kenna. Hardison turned off the ear buds.

"She's not as strong as he thinks she is." Parker watched as Kenna's car pulled away.

"Sooner or later they'll figure it out. They always do." Nate answered and headed back to his own apartment.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

The room was dark. His chest started to tighten and he started gasping for air. The bathroom light flicked on and Parker's silhouette stood in the doorway.

"Sorry…it got dark so quick with the storm coming." She walked to the side of his bed.

"Another one."

"Yeah. Tornado warnings and everything." She handed him a glass of water and two pills. "Just over the counter stuff. Kenna said." He nodded and he took them.

"Is she still here?"

"No. She said goodbye."

"You have to find her." Eliot whispered.

"I know where she is."

"The weather, it's getting bad?"

"Wind and rain. Some thunder. Why?"

"When she was five, she got caught in a F3 tornado. Her mom was gone and her brother's and sister's weren't old enough to be taking care of each other. The storm hit fast and hard and it took days to find her. That's one of the reasons why Jodi became friends with her. She was fascinated by the fact she lived though a tornado." The pain was making him woozy and he wasn't sure he could keep awake. "Get her Parker. She shouldn't be alone." He passed out again.

"Alec…call Kenna…tell her to come back."

"Is it bad?" Hardison came in the room.

"She's terrified of storms. Eliot said she needs to come here." Parker took a deep breath to calm herself. She needed to stay focused. Sometimes when things got out of hand she lost control and right now she needed to keep it together for Kenna…and for Eliot.

"She's not answering her phone." Hardison told Parker.

"The ear bud. Maybe she still has it in." Parker went to the lap top sitting on Eliot's table and activated the bud. "Kenna…Kenna are you there."

"_Parker…oh God…I…the sky got dark and then I heard the warnings and I guess I lost track of where I was going."_

"Okay we'll get you back here, just hold tight."

"Where is she?" Eliot asked from the door way. He looked like hell and was barely standing against the door frame.

"She doesn't know." Parker looked at Hardison and then at Eliot. Eliot held out his hand. Parker went to the counter and got him an ear bud and he put it in.

"Kenna…"

"_You should be in bed." _

"How do you know I'm not?"

"_Because you're breathing hard and your pulse rate is though the roof." _He could hear the fear in her voice.

"You need to calm down darlin' we're going to get you back here. Where's your phone?"

"I think it's in my bag, in the car."

"Okay. You're not in your car?"

"No, I got out and ran into a building…I'm in the basement." Hardison looked at Eliot.

"It must have died because I can't get a lock on it."

"Get a lock on it!" Eliot spat out. "Take it easy kid, we're coming to get you."

"You need to lie down…you're going to tear your stitches."

"Okay for once in your life stop worrying about me and start thinking about the things you saw on when you were driving." Eliot looked at Nate. No words were needed as Nate grabbed his keys and headed out the door. "Nate's on his way to his car. Hardison is going to hack into your GPS on your car and were going to find you."

"At least go lay down." Eliot chuckled.

"Darlin' I will sit down but if I lay down we're both in for some dead air, 'cause I will pass out." He walked to his big recliner and sat down. Parker silently checked his dressing.

"I guess you had to tell them another one of my gruesome childhood antidotes?"

"You bet. They didn't believe a girl as strong as you would be afraid of a little thunder." He heard her laugh out loud.

"It isn't the thunder that'll kill ya."

"Okay tell me your route. Close your eyes and picture it." She was quiet for a full moment and Eliot almost broke into her thoughts but then she started talking.

"I was parked at the end of the block. I got in and drove straight down Roosevelt. Then I took a left on Hampshire…"

"Okay left on Hampshire." Eliot knew that Nate had his ear bud in to but repeating it made him feel a little better so he could picture it in his own head.

"I went passed the big Kroger's on Hampshire and that's when the news bulletin broke in. I didn't turn again till….Oregon."

"You're doing great. Left or right on Oregon?"

"Right. No….left because I crossed traffic. I drove blind after that." Eliot swallowed hard and flinched. The end of Oregon was the biggest, badest gang stomping ground Boston had. If there was anything left of Kenna's car for Nate to find he was walking in to some dangerous territory. Eliot needed a plan. A really good plan. He wasn't the planner. Nate was. Nate was silent. The silence told him he didn't know what to do anymore then Eliot did. This could get really, really messy.


	3. Chapter 3

Someday

Chapter Three

"I found the car Eliot. Not much left. Call fire and rescue Hardison. Tell them we have a fire at 343 Oregon. Route it though Kenna's cell number and have Parker make the call. If they know one of their own is in the line of fire they will step it up."

"Thanks Nate." Kenna said not sounding as brave as she liked.

"The weather is still pretty calm. Some wind but no rain. The clouds are pretty black but so far it's all okay out here."

"That's how it starts." Kenna replied. She knew more about tornado's and weather then most meteorologists.

"Darlin' just think of sunny skies and warm summer days." Eliot took over calming her. "Parker called it in and any minute help will be on its way. When you hear them you yell long and hard till they come."

"Eliot, I…I feel stupid."

"We all have something that freaks the shit out of now and then." He whispered. "You know I worry about you every time it starts to rain." Eliot sat back in his chair. "In a minute Nate's going to throw a smoke bomb in the building. It will guarantee they come in a search for you. It's the best way without putting Nate in the like of fire."

"I don't want anyone to…"

"Kenna breathe baby." He knew the way she thought. Things were going though her head right now. Memories of her childhood that she liked to shove into the back of her mind. "Blue skies, sunny days darlin'."

"I don't ever want to go back there." She whispered.

"I know." Was all he said. He looked at Parker. She nodded. "Two minutes Kenna Shane. You'll be out of there in two minutes." They heard the sirens and Nate threw the smoke bomb though his window and into the empty building.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/00/0/0/0/0

The apartment was quiet and the rain was falling hard. Eliot felt the bed sink and didn't bother to open his eyes. It had been a hard day and he didn't want to fight with Parker. Not tonight. He felt her shift and do something she had never done in all the nights she came into his room. She was quiet. He liked the silence and for once she agreed with him.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

The bowl of cereal was thrust at him before he could sit up.

"Thanks…I think." Parker smiled quickly and then it was gone. She sat crossed legged on the chair next to his bed. "Something wrong?"

"Why do you do what you do?"

"What…what are we talking about Parker?"

"Your nice one minute and pissing people off the next." He shook his head.

"Speak English crazy girl."

"You made Kenna leave." He looked at her.

"If you recall as soon as the BFD got Kenna out of the building I pretty much passed out."

"See…even unconscious you still made her leave."

"Kenna was here?" He looked at Parker. She squinted at him.

"She came right after the paramedics looked at her. You passed out so she checked you out and spent the night here. The storm got pretty bad but she left before the sun came up." Eliot closed his eyes. It hadn't been a dream. The thunder and the warm body against his. He should have known it wasn't Parker in his bed last night. It had been Kenna. He was too far gone to do much more then hold her but it would have been something.

"I didn't even know she was here."

"Call her. She's working this morning." He looked at Parker. She looked like a child pouting.

"Why don't you call her?" She looked at him.

"I don't think talking to me does the same thing." She stood up. "When you're done with your breakfast I'm going to give you a sponge bath." He looked at her.

"Oh, hell no."

"You need to keep that wound clean."

"The wound is one thing but that's as far as you go crazy girl." Parker smiled.

"Welcome back Eliot." She left him to his cereal and went to call Kenna and tell her that everything was okay.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

Things weren't okay. Kenna looked at herself in the mirror and shook her head. Last night she crumbled under her fear of the damn weather patterns. She had never been week but one strike of lightning lately brought her to her knees. And seeing Eliot hurt had put her in a tail spin from the get go. Things were getting complicated. She didn't like complicated. Her phone rang. Taking a deep breath she answered it.

"Hello."

"How are you this morning?" Parker's somewhat annoying cheerfulness greeted her.

"Better, thanks. How are you?"

"You left without saying good-bye." Parker said in lui of an answer.

"I had to come home and shower and change. It's not like I won't see you tonight. We still on for dinner?"

"Sure. I guess."

"What's wrong?"

"I guess I feel strange…hanging out with you and not…telling Eliot."

"Tell him whatever you want Parker. We can be friends or not. Eliot doesn't get to choose who either of us talks to." She didn't mean to sound angry but she knew she did. "Call me later." She hung up leaving things between them that she really shouldn't have.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

"Quit fussing Sophie." Eliot squirmed under her touch.

"Your dressing needs to be changed."

"Parker will change it later." Sophie looked at him. "What?"

"She isn't…feeling well."

"You never could lie to me Sophie so why start now?"

"She's upset."

"About me getting hurt?"

"About Kenna and you."

"Sophie, there is no Kenna and me."

"Exactly. She has this…well it's kind of like…a child of divorce."

"Divorce?" He shook his head.

"You know how a child is when parents separate. She's afraid she can't be friends with both you and Kenna and well in her world you're the important figure. Parker wants to be friends with Kenna but feels she can't because it might hurt you."

"Now I know why I worked alone for so many years."

"Give her a few hours. She'll get over it."

"I hope so. If I get my breakfast thrown at me tomorrow I may not be responsible for what I do with it." Sophie smiled. Eliot closed his eyes and lay back against his headboard. "I'm no good for her Sophie."

"Why don't you let her decide? Call her. "

"Maybe."

"Maybe. That's all you can say."

"For now." Sophie smiled.

"Rest now. Make life altering decisions later." She stood and left Eliot with his thoughts. She hoped he would come to realize that the someday he kept waiting for may never come.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

Nate sat at the counter and looked over the plans for the office building up town. He needed Parker to go in and get what was in a council members safe. He couldn't send her in alone. If he waited for Eliot to heal they might miss their window.

"Hey Nate." Kenna slid onto the stool next to him.

"Hey yourself." He looked at the younger woman. "I thought you had girl's night out plans with Sophie and Parker."

"Parker has commitment issues. She feels like she's cheating on Eliot if she has dinner with me." Nate shook his head.

"So then it's you and Sophie?"

"Sophie can't cheat on Parker."

"Okay then. How about a beer?" Kenna smiled.

"I just stopped by to give you these." She handed him a bottle. "One three times a day." Nate set the bottle on the bar in front of her.

"Why don't you bring it up to him?"

"Because I'm trying to avoid him at all possible costs, if you haven't already noticed."

"Well I'm one to push anyone into anything but I think he needs to see that you're okay after last night."

"I spent the night in his bed Nate."

"With him shot in the shoulder and on paid medication. I have this strange feeling that he didn't even know you were there."

"You're going to make me face him now that the drugs have worn out, aren't you?"

"I'm not making you do anything." She grabbed the shot that was sitting in front of Nate and drank it down and headed upstairs.

"You did make me…whether you know it or not." Kenna called from the steps.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Kenna knocked on the door. It took about five minutes before Eliot made it to the door. He opened it angrily. His expression changed when he saw her standing there.

"Kenna."

"Hey." Her arms were crossed in front of her chest. She handed him a bottle of pills.

"I thought you told Parker no meds." Eliot leaned against the door frame.

"Antibiotics. Thanks for last night."

"I think we're even Kenna." She smiled.

"We have to stop keeping score." Kenna answered. She looked at him. "I know we decided that we needed some time to figure this out but why can't it be like it used to."

"Go back to being just friends and staying up all night and counting stars? Darlin' I don't know about you but counting stars is the last thing I want to do when I'm next to you."

"We're not kids Eliot; we don't need to act on feelings. We know how to control them."

"So you want to ignore the heat between us and just play BFF's like old times." Eliot stood an inch from Kenna.

"We shared a bed last night and nothing happened."

"I passed out and you were a wreck. Neither one of us were in top form." Kenna touched his face. He was warmer then he should be.

"Have you been taking it easy today?" She pushed him inside the door.

"I've been laying down most of the day." He said. She moved the shirt aside. The wound looked okay but she saw the stitches were pulled a bit.

"Maybe you should stop moving around." Eliot smiled.

"Make me." Kenna laughed.

"As you medical advisor I suggest you limit you're movements." She said.

"Yeah, okay." He turned and headed to his bedroom. "Feel free to join me." Kenna shook her head.

"I thought we decided this wasn't a good idea." He turned back to her and gave her one of those sly cowboy smiles that always melted her.

"You decided darlin'. I had nothing to do with it." He went into his room and Kenna stood and watched him go. It took all she had not to follow him. But her weakness for the man went back a whole lot of years. Someday she would be strong enough but right now she would give in to her need to feel the warmth of the only man she ever loved. Someday. She gave him a minute to squirm and then she followed. One night wouldn't change anything but maybe it would make good-bye a little easier.


	4. Chapter 4

Someday

Chapter Four

Kenna sat at Eliot's kitchen counter and drank her coffee as she read the morning paper. Parker came bounding in like a three year old on Christmas morning.

"Morning." She hugged Kenna from behind and sat next to her. "I was glad you came to your senses." Kenna smiled in her coffee cup.

"It was just one night Parker."

"One leads to two." She smiled again. Kenna put down her cup.

"And that's my queue to leave." She stood up. "I have to be to work in an hour and I need to swing by my…" Parker handed her a bag. "You broke into my house?"

"It really wasn't breaking in…I knew where you kept the key and well…bringing your stuff to you isn't stealing really."

"I know Parker." She grabbed her bag. "Thanks." Kenna headed out the door.

"You're not going to say good-bye to Eliot?"

"Already done." Grabbing her coffee she headed out the door. Eliot came out of the bedroom.

"Kenna leave?" Parker glared at him though squinted eyes.

"Why do you always make her go?"

"She had to go to work Parker. Unlike us she has to actually go to a place every day."

"Are you two okay?"

"Why wouldn't we be?" Eliot went and poured himself a cup of coffee. "You look confused crazy girl." He smiled.

"I am. You two confuse the hell out of me." She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Parker trying to figure anyone else out will only give you a headache. Trying to figure out me and Kenna just might send you over the edge." He sat next to her. "Kenna needs to figure out what she needs in life and surly as my eyes are blue it isn't me. One day she will realize this."

"Till then?" Eliot smiled.

"She can patch up my cuts and ice my bruises." He answered and got hit in his bad shoulder.

"You're a pig." She got up and headed out the door.

/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

Nate caught Kenna as she was grabbing a coffee at the diner.

"I need another favor." Kenna looked at him.

"I just left Eliot so I know you don't need for my medical skills."

"This has to stay between you me and Parker."

"Parker is barely talking to me so good luck with that."

"I need your hitter skills." She stopped and looked at him.

"Um…I don't know….I'm just a girl who wanted to impress a boy so I learned some moves Nate." He looked her in the eye.

"You think I don't know that. I also know you were holding back. You know way more than Eliot taught you when you younger." She looked down at the sidewalk and back at Nate.

"Eliot can't find out about this cause that vain in his head that pops out when he's angry will explode if he knows any of this."

"I'm not going to tell him."

"What about Parker?"

"I'll take care of Parker." He looked at the young woman. "Meet us at the Amber Building near Sussex."

"My shift ends at seven." She pushed her bag on her shoulder and headed to the fire station. She hoped she wouldn't regret the decision she just made.

/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

Eliot hated being out of the loop but the time off really felt good. His shoulder ached but so did most parts of his body after a job. He ran the hot water and slid in to the tub. Waiting for the water to rise so he could put the jets on high, he closed his eyes and thought about the night he had spent with Kenna. Her gentle touch brought out a tenderness in him he though he's lost a long time ago. The night had gone by way too fast and in the morning light there was no regrets like the last time. Eliot hoped that when they got each other out of their systems they could still be friends. His phone rang. He reached for it.

"Yeah."

"Whatcha doing?" Kenna asked.

"Soaking away the aches from last night."

"You should really take it easy Eliot."

"I'm in the tub darlin', how much more easy can I take it."

"Okay, I just thought I would check in. I have to work a double. I may be done really late."

"The door will be unlocked."

"Eliot…"

"Kenna…you can come over or you can go home. Either way works." Wasn't he the one that said they were not good for each other?

"I'll see how I feel when my shift ends."

"Talk to you later then. Call me and let me know what you decide." Eliot threw his phone on the towel next to the tub and turned on the jets. He'd be sleeping alone tonight. He knew by the sound in her voice she wasn't coming over. It wasn't regret, just a woman's prerogative to make a man wait. He would wait till the end of time if it meant Kenna would be happy.

/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

Kenna watched Parker as she slowly and precisely broke into the small safe in the counsel man's office. It was pretty cut and dry. No security, no guard dogs. Kenna hated keeping anything from Eliot but if he ever found out Nate pulled her into a job he would blow a gasket.

"You're fidgeting Kenna and its throwing me off big time. Now take a breath and settle." Parker looked at her friend.

"Sorry. Eliot is going to kill all of us you know that."

"Eliot won't find out if you just let me finish and we can get out of here." The footsteps were soft but Kenna felt them long before the person showed their face. She took her stance and her leg shot out just as the man was rounding the corner. Her hands came down shoving the man into her knee. He fell to the floor. "NICE!" Parker cracked the safe and opened it. Taking copies of everything that was in the safe and putting it back.

"Let's go Parker." Kenna didn't think she could handle more stress.

"Done. Nate we're out in two."

"Make it one girls. You got big company coming and they don't look happy." Parker pulled Kenna up though the air vent and they were up to the next floor before the man was detected. They took the fire escape down to the street and were gone before anyone knew they were there.

"That was amazing." Kenna looked at Parker. Parker squinted back at her.

"That was nothing. You should see me with a bank vault." Kenna shook her head as Nate pulled up.

"You two going to stay and chat all night or are you going to get in." They got into Nate's car and headed back to Nate's.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

"**Dinner?**" The text asked. Eliot smiled.

"**You want me to cook?**" He texted back.

"**It's late, I'll pick up something. Be there soon.**" So she was coming over. He would have bet the farm she wouldn't show her face for at least three or four days. Kenna was surprising him more and more every day. He took a couple of beers from the fridge and set them on the coffee table in front of the TV. A few minutes later Kenna came in the apartment with a bag.

"Hey kid." For a woman who worked a double shift she looked amazing. Her hair pulled back and skin glowing,

"Hey." She leaned over and kissed him. "How was your day?"

"Good. Rested, soaked, rested some more." She smiled and took out a couple of boxes from the bag she was carrying.

"Good. You really needed the rest." Kenna said as she set the food on the coffee table and grabbed some forks from the kitchen. She sat down with her legs under and grabbed the top box. "Anything good on?"

"Celtics/Bulls start in five?"

"Sounds good." He turned on the television as he sat next to her grabbing the other box.

"Smoked turkey?"

"Yeah the deli down the block has the best. He saves me a little because he thinks I saved his life when he cut his hand." Eliot looked at her.

"You have the whole neighborhood wrapped around your finger, don't you?" She smiled.

"Hell yeah. Every time I move I need to know where the food is." The game started and they got sucked into. It was nearly midnight before the game ended. Kenna started cleaning up and Eliot followed.

"You don't have to do that."

"I always clean up my messes." She answered. Putting the beer bottles in the recycle she tossed her box in the garbage. Turning around Kenna ran into Eliot throwing away his box. "Sorry." He grabbed her.

"You're staying, right?" He said as he looked her in the eye. She shook her head.

"I should go home." Eliot put his hand on Kenna's jaw and kissed her lips softly and slowly. "Really Eliot, I have to go home. I have…a cat." He smiled and kissed her a little deeper.

"A cat huh?" He pulled her into his arms. "Cats can take care of themselves for a few hours."

"I named him Nate…he really kinda reminds me of your Nate."

"A sloppy drunk?" Kenna laughed.

"He's a loner yet yearns to be with people…kinda like all of us I guess." Eliot held her close for a minute then pushed her just far enough away to look her in the eye.

"Do you want to stay? If you don't I'll drive you home now." Kenna laid her head on his chest.

"I could get used to this Eliot Spence." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Me too Kenna Shane…me too."


	5. Chapter 5

Someday

Chapter Five

The clouds were forming as Kenna stepped out of the back door of the bar. Things were not going like she wanted them too. She hoped the last few nights with Eliot would make it easier to say goodbye when the time came but it was getting harder and harder to leave him in the morning.

"You've been spending a lot of time at the neighborhood bar there partner." Kenna looked up to see Riley Jacobs coming out of the dry cleaners.

"I have friends in the building." She smiled. "I gave up the hard stuff long ago."

"How about dinner tonight? I know a great new restaurant on Beacon Hill." Kenna knew she should say no. No matter what, she did have something with Eliot, even if it was only for now.

"I'm kind of seeing someone, but thanks for asking." They walked slowly to the station.

"We'll if you change your mind."

"I'll keep that in mind." Kenna spent the rest of the day wondering if she did the right thing.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

Eliot sat on the sofa in Nate's living room. They had cleared up the counsel man's Ponzi scheme and they were moving on to bigger and more corrupt bad guys.

"Okay we have the reservations for the retreat. This guy is bad news." Hardison was finishing up the information part of the job. "He's taking peoples marriage crisis and making money off of it. Fifteen couples in the last six months have given their life savings and sometimes more." Eliot looked at the time line on the screen in front of him.

"They want to be happy again so they pay this guy to solve their problems." Eliot shook his head. "Whatever happened to a good old knock out drag out fight and making up after words?"

"Not everyone has yours and Kenna's outlook on relationships." Nate looked at his hitter. "We need a sixth for this to work…I think your lady friend would work nicely."

"Hell no." Eliot shook his head. "We are not pulling Kenna in on a job. No way."

"We need another woman for this to work."

"Call Tara." Eliot answered.

"Tara is in Brazil." Sophie answered,

"Then I go in another way."

"There is no other way." Hardison answered. "Unless you want to wait out in the van." Eliot glared at him.

"Kenna is not running a con with us and that's final."

"Maybe someone should run it by Kenna." Kenna was standing in the doorway. How she moved so silently was beyond Eliot's comprehension.

"This isn't up for discussion Kenna. You are not working a con with us. No way no how." When she crossed her arms across her chest he knew he was in for a fight.

"Who died and made you the boss of me?"

"What are you like ten?" Eliot looked at her. "Really Kenna, you have a legit life, why would want to even do this?"

"To help the people who gave me my life back." She looked into his stormy blue eyes. "I want to help you Eliot."

"You need to be as far away from what we do as possible Kenna."

"Does that mean you want me to go?" She asked.

"Kenna I just don't want you to be involved in any of this."

"'This' is who you are and what you do. I understand that. Why won't you let me help?"

"Because you might get hurt." He glared at her. "Worse you might get killed. How could I face Jodi then, huh?"

"Eliot, you know I can take care of myself." The anger was building and she knew it. At any moment the famous Spencer temper was going to erupt. "I guess that's it then." Kenna knew how far to push and she just pushed him to the edge. "Thanks for everything." She grabbed her bag from by the door and left….slamming it hard behind her.

"What just happened?" Parker asked. She looked at Eliot then Nate. "Where's Kenna going?"

"Anywhere she wants Parker." Eliot said as he walked to the door and left.

"What does that mean?" She looked at Hardison.

"It means Kenna's gone." He answered and picked up his laptop. "I'll see you guys in the morning." He left too. Parker looked at Nate and Sophie.

"She's not coming back?"

"No Parker, I suppose she's not." Sophie answered. Parker grabbed her jacket and stormed out the door.

"Well that didn't go like I had planned." Nate went to the bar and poured himself a drink.

"Really. I though getting everyone's feathers ruffled was always the plan." Sophie shook her head. "How long do you think it will take to get them talking again?"

"We don't have nearly enough time for that." Nate knew that Eliot and Kenna were on thin ice from the get go but now he was afraid the crack growing between them would separate them for good.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Eliot decided running would be far less painful then hitting the bag so he put on his running shoes and hit the pavement. It was late but he knew no one would mess with him. In the mood he was in he wished someone would. Kenna was crazy if she thought he would let her work a job with them. Any job they worked could get them caught or worse. She wasn't like them. Running faster he thought more about it. She had killed a man in self defense and was on the run for a lot of years but that didn't make her like Parker, Sophie, Hardison and himself. She was more like Nate. More good than bad. Someday he was going to explain that to her but not today. They had four days before the seminar started. Four days to get a different plan set up for him to get into the resort. Hell they pulled con's off in less than two hours. Four days should be a synch.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

"Okay so how do we get Eliot in without a wife?" Hardison looked at Nate.

"We have four days before we have to go in. Maybe things will get better before then."

"So we're going to see if Eliot and Kenna kiss and make up?" Hardison shook his head. "We may be waiting till Christmas 2025 for that."

"I have a feeling we will be seeing Kenna and Eliot happy by Thursday. Or at least speaking to one another." Nate looked at the file in front of him. "My money's on Kenna." Hardison shook his head and went back to work on finding Eliot an in.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

Tuesday morning dawned bright and clear. Kenna grabbed her coffee at the diner and headed to work. Reilly was waiting for her at the door of the station.

"Have you changed your mind yet?" He smiled. Kenna headed toward the locker room.

"Yeah. I'll be ready by seven thirty." She answered as she shut the door behind her.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Eliot sat and looked at the files in front of him. The marriage counselor guy was a real piece of work. The only good thing that came out of his therapy was that most of the couples stayed together when they found out the man took all their money.

"Let's get out of here for awhile." Sophie stood behind him.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Hardison and Parker want to try a new restaurant."

"I'd feel like a fifth wheel."

"Nate has some business to take care of so he won't be joining us." She sat next to him at the counter. "Or you could call Kenna."

"Have you forgotten we're not talking to Kenna?"

"You're not talking to Kenna. The rest of us are being punished because of your ego." Eliot looked at Sophie.

"You think I'm wrong not to let her be part of this job?"

"I think you need to realize that Kenna isn't as innocent as you think or want her to be."

"What do you know that I don't?"

"I know that she's strong and stubborn just like you. That her roots, though not so much with her family, run deep. I know that she loves with all her heart and doesn't give it easily."

"She isn't like us Sophie."

"Kenna is more like us than any other person we've let in to our little world."

"She doesn't know what we've done or what we're capable of doing."

"Oh I think she knows." Sophie stood up. "Get ready. We need a night out kiddo." Eliot knew he needed to get out of the house. He hadn't been out since the night he was shot.

"Give me time to shower and shave."

"You have till seven. Our reservations are for seven thirty." Sophie left Eliot to his thoughts.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

The restaurant was crowded for a Tuesday night. The hitter, thief, hacker and drifter sat at the bar. It would be a few minutes till their table was ready so they all ordered a drink.

"It's crazy in here." Eliot looked around. It was noisy and crowded, not at all what he went for in a restaurant. As he started to turn back to the bar and he saw her. She was sitting across from a dark haired man. She was leaning toward him and laughing at something he said.

"Eliot, what's wrong?" Sophie saw him tense and looked the direction he was looking. "Oh my."

"What?" Hardison and Parker said at once both turning.

"Is that Kenna?" Parker asked.

"God I hope not." Was all Hardison said. The tension on Eliot's face was apparent.

"Eliot calm down." Sophie knew better then to touch the hitter because the only one that could get though to him when he was this far gone was across the room having dinner with another man.

"She has every right to have a life." He said between clenched teeth.

"That's right she does." Sophie answered. "She does look happy, doesn't she?" Parker looked at Sophie. Was she crazy? Eliot was turning red and that vain on his forehead was ready to burst.

"Sophie!" Parker glared at her.

"We'll she does look like she's quite interested in that young man." Eliot's hands balled into fists.

"I'm taking a walk." Eliot turned and headed toward the door.

"Should we go after him?" Parker watched him go. Sophie shook her head.

"Let her do it." Parker turned and saw Kenna get up from the table and grab her jacket. She pushed past the crowd of people and out the door.

"You knew she'd be here didn't you?" Hardison looked at Sophie.

"I hoped once Eliot pushed her away her partner would ask her out. He's been giving her the eye for quite some time."

"Let's hope they don't kill each other before they make up." Their table was called and the three went to enjoy a nice dinner.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Eliot was halfway down the block before his mind cleared enough to feel the presents behind him. He took deep breath and turned around swinging. It was too late to pull back when he saw Kenna. She arched backward and her leg shot out taking his legs out from under him. She shot back up and was ready to defend herself.

"You have to start making more noise when you walk Kenna Shane." Eliot stood up. Kenna looked at him.

"You have to start looking before you start swinging."

"I look first and I get dead." He looked at her. She had a black tank top and jeans. She looked better than any woman had a right to. "Why are you following me?"

"I…you looked upset." She picked up her leather jacket and put it on.

"Upset? That's a joke." He crossed his arms over his chest. "What would make you think I was upset?"

"The bulge on your forehead." She looked at him. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Expecting you to understand." Kenna put her hands in her pockets. "I expected you to know what I've been though." She leaned against the brick wall. "I never told you all of it because I liked the way things were."

"What do you mean?" He leaned against the wall next to her.

"You and me. The sex…the friendship." Kenna looked down at her boots. "Seeing you again after all these years made me realize that you and Jodi were the only people I could count on. Then came Nate and the others. I just wanted to help, not screw things up between all of us."

"So you go out with someone else."

"I just thought if I tried to forget about you, I wouldn't feel so damn miserable." Eliot chuckled.

"And how's that working for you?" She looked at him and smiled.

"I came after you didn't I."

"You said you expected me to understand what you'd been though. What did you mean?"

"Remember when you told me about Myanmar?"

"Yeah. I don't recall much after that." He smiled.

"I hit rock bottom about a year after I left Kentucky. I felt guilty for making you clean up my mess and I felt like if I would have done something more you would have come back for me." She looked at Eliot. "I was really angry with myself for a lot of years and well the army…they capitalized on it."

"I figured there was something more to your story but I was going to push." Eliot could see the flashes of anger now and then over the little things but she controlled them far better than he ever could when he was fresh out of the field.

"I was a medic for most of my career but sometimes a woman can get in places a man can't." She looked up and stared at the sky. "I need you to know that I can get the job done Eliot. I want to go in with you on Friday."

"Kenna it's not that. I have all the faith in the world you can do the job. I just don't want you getting into this business."

"The business of helping people?"

"The con business. This isn't a game we play Kenna. It's a war we fight every day. Between trying not to get caught and not to get dead…it's just not what you should be doing with your life. You don't have a price over your head like the rest of us. At least not anymore." She looked at him.

"You introduced me to your world Eliot. I want to be part of it. If it means bending the law to meet the needs of others then I can live with that. You don't need to have a reason not to get caught. I want to do this with you. For you." He knew he could argue all night but that was the last thing he wanted right now. He turned and took her face in his hands and kissed her long and deep. Pressing her against the building he let his hands roam under her jacket and to her hips.

"Kenna Shane I thought I could walk away from this like it was nothing but darlin' when I saw you with that guy tonight I knew…I knew I couldn't, not yet." He kissed her again and she wanted to pull away and tell him that he never had to walk away. Tell him that they could have the always and forever but not tonight. Tonight they would start again and maybe SOMEDAY she would bring up forever.


	6. Chapter 6

Someday

Chapter Six

Eliot woke up alone. It wasn't always a bad thing but tonight was one of those nights when he wanted to shut the world out a loose himself in a woman. Not just any woman… Kenna Shane Hawks. She had been there, falling asleep in his arms but now the other side of the bed was empty. He slid his hand over the sheet. It was still warm so she hadn't been gone long. The bedroom curtain blew in the breeze coming from the window he hadn't opened. Getting up, he slid on his shorts and went to the window. She was there. On the fire escape looking at the traffic below.

"Couldn't sleep?" He sat on the window sill and watched her.

"I just needed some air." Kenna didn't look at him; she just stared off into the night.

"Something wrong?" Eliot asked.

"No." She didn't say anything else. He tried to read her but lately she had been so hard to get a handle on he had given up.

"You ready for Friday?" He tried a different angle of questioning.

"Sure." She looked at him. "We're Eliot and Kenna Raines. We've been married eight years, we have two kids. Charlotte five and Hunter six months. Everything was wine and roses since meeting in college twelve years ago. Then Hunter was born early and by c-section and neither one of us feels like the other is doing their part to keep the marriage going. You haven't made an effort to touch me since before the baby was born." He looked at her.

"What's really bothering you?"

"Some nights I feel like sleep will never come and when it does I have these crazy dreams that make no sense. I thought they were over."

"When did they start again?" Eliot heard thunder rumbling in the distant. "The night of the storm?" She nodded.

"It's like a big flashback of my life but there's things that are jumbled in there that I don't remember happing."

"They're just dreams Kenna. They jumble your reality with fantasy. Remember when we'd watch scary movies on Friday nights and then you and Jodi would end up in my room on the floor because you were scared?" Kenna smiled.

"You'd turn around and face the wall and call us 'stupid girl's'."

"I kinda liked you coming in there." He smiled.

"Sometimes I would tell Jodi I was scared just so we could." Eliot reached out and touched her face.

"Don't ever be afraid to tell me your scared Kenna. If you want out of this I understand."

"It's not because of the job Eliot. Maybe it's because I haven't slept well or maybe it's because of the storms. I just know that being here with you has made it bearable." She leaned over and kissed the stubble on his face. "You make my nights easier." He chuckled and pulled her into the widow.

"Kenna Shane, you make my nights harder." Eliot kissed her and carried her back to bed and made her night oh so much more bearable.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

"We have a big problem." Sophie said as she watched Eliot and Kenna make breakfast.

"And what would that be?" Nate asked.

"Look at them." She said. Nate turned and looked at the hitter and the paramedic. "Nate they…they look so happy."

"Three days ago it was a bad thing they stopped talking to each other now that they are its bad again?"

"You've been spending way too much time with Parker. Nate, the whole idea is to go into this seminar unhappy."

"Give it time. I'm sure one or the other will say something and they will be at odds again." Nate looked at Sophie. "And if they aren't I'm sure the two of them will improvise."

"You really think they can fool a marriage consular?" Nate looked back at the two.

"I think the two of them could do just about anything they set their minds to." He looked back at Sophie. "Give them a chance. I really think this will work out."

"Are you willing to risk it Nate?" Sophie looked at him.

"Kenna is just as much of a con artist as the rest of us. Just give her a chance."

"If she doesn't pull her weight this is the last job she helps on."

"I will take full responsibility for her and her actions." Nate went back to the newspaper. He had more confidence in Kenna then anyone knew. He knew things not even his hitter knew about her. He hoped she would prove him right before this was over.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

The truck was silent and Eliot didn't like when Kenna was quiet. She seemed calm. He wasn't sure he should rock the boat. He was smart enough not to push a good thing. At least he thought he was.

"It's not too late to back out." It was out of his mouth before he could stop himself. She never looked at him just looked straight ahead.

"I just want to get there and be done with it." Kenna took a drink of her water.

"You wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" She looked at him.

"Yeah, I did. Because you weren't there to stop me."

"You're blaming your foul mood on me? I told you your damn cat hates me so I wouldn't spend another night at your place unless you lock him up." This wasn't going to be pretty.

"He's been around a lot more then you have lately."

"Oh so now my work is cramping your style. Maybe Mr. Paramedic slash Fire Fighter would put in a few more hours… maybe when we get home you can give him a call.

"Maybe I will."

_Three miles ahead of them Nate and Sophie listened to the fight. Neither Kenna nor Eliot remembering their coms were on._

"_How did you do that?" Sophie asked Nate._

"_Do what?"_

"_Make them have an argument. They've been absolutely blissful for the last three days and this morning on the ride to the retreat, they fight?"_

"_I can honestly say I had nothing to with it. But I do know that the two of them hate being happy for more than a couple of days so I knew it would all work out." Sophie shook her head and hoped Kenna and Eliot didn't kill each other before the week end was over._

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

The opening seminar was all about trust and friendship. It was all flowers and rainbows and what every married person wanted. Then each couple had a one on one with a relationship expert. Both Kenna and Eliot sat stiffly.

"So tell me what happened to cause the rift between you two."

"I got pregnant." Kenna said without hesitation.

"Was it a planned pregnancy?" The woman looked at Kenna with accusing eyes.

"Yes. Charlotte starts school in the fall so we decided that it was time. Things started to unravel just after my first trimester. Eliot started to work long hours and find reasons to stay away from home." The woman looked at Eliot.

"Is this true?"

"Kenna wanted to stay at home after the baby was born. I had to put in extra hours to make sure you could do what you wanted. Do you think I liked spending all that time away from you and Charlotte?" There was a strain in Eliot's voice that made him so much more convincing.

"You never sounded unhappy when you called to say you weren't coming home."

"When was the last time you were intimate?" The counselor asked.

"June twenty seventh two thousand nine." Kenna answered without hesitation.

"You remember that?" Eliot looked at her. She was looking straight ahead, arms crossed.

"Of course I remember the last time my husband made love to me." She looked at him. "I guess that's why we're here…because you don't remember." She glared at him."

"_She's good." Hardison said inside their heads. _

"What changed after that?" The 'doctor' asked.

"A week later the doctor told us that I needed to take it easy because there was a small tear in my placenta. I had to be on bed rest for three weeks and it repaired it's self but after that he pulled away." Kenna looked down at the ring Hardison had given her to wear this morning and absently twisted it.

"I didn't want to hurt you or the baby." Eliot returned.

"What happened after he was born? Was my scares such a turn off you couldn't even share the same bed with me." Kenna got up and wanted to just leave the room. Things were getting weird but she knew she couldn't go back now.

"I got a little busy trying to pay the bills and keep things together." Kenna was staring out the window. She turned to him.

"Well the bills got paid." She turned back the window.

"I guess we should stop there. We have the whole week end to figure this all out and hopefully make things right." The woman stood.

"Take a walk, together or alone…just take some time to relax." She left the room. Eliot got up.

"_Hardison are the rooms swept for bugs?" Eliot whispered._

"_Infested beyond belief." _

"_Find me somewhere that isn't."_

"_Three doors down on your left there's a storage closet that's clean." Eliot grabbed Kenna's hand and nearly dragged her the hundred feet to the closet. He checked around and no one was looking he pulled her in. Taking out his com and then reached for hers. Shoving them in his pocket he grabbed her and kissed her hard. Pushing her against the back wall he deepened the kiss._

"You're doing a good job but you need to relax." He whispered in her ear.

"How much more relaxed do you want me." She closed her eyes and let his kisses make a trail down his neck. "We can't do this Eliot." She swallowed hard.

"I know. I just needed to wipe the sadness off your face for just a little while. God Kenna I knew you could pull this off but darlin' you had me feeling guilty for things I never really did." He pulled her close and hugged her tight. "I just need to hold you for a little while." Eliot knew this job would take a lot out of all of them. None of them came from the happiest of homes. It was like the six of them were drawn to each other. He had always been drawn to Kenna. Since she was seven years old and she came to the farm in her too small sneakers and a dirty face.

She was becoming more and more like part of the team every day. He thought after this job was over he could say good bye, but the more time he spent with her again the more he wanted her to stay. Maybe someday they could make it happen.


	7. Chapter 7

Someday

Chapter Seven

Eliot sat across from Kenna at dinner. She didn't say much but with all the bugs and cameras on them he knew she was just playing it safe. Hardison found at least six safe spots they could meet safely. It was going to be a long weekend if they couldn't talk out of character.

"How's your salad?" Eliot asked.

"Fine." Kenna answered.

"Do you want some more wine?" She looked up at him.

"I'm kind of tired." She pushed her plate away. "I'm going upstairs." Kenna stood and went toward the elevators. Eliot watched her go. A man came and sat next to him.

"Everything okay Mr. Raines?"

"As good as they can be I guess. Who the hell are you?"

"Dr. Kurt Gallardo." The mark. Eliot hoped Hardison had something to feed him.

"You run this place."

"Yes. After your first meeting we have a general discussion and your name came up as one of most troubled clients this weekend."

"You discussed me and my wife in your staff meeting?"

"Oh it's more than a staff meeting. We have a half a dozen on staff certified marriage consolers with millions of case studies and years of experience to help you."

"And your consensus is?"

"Your marriage is worth saving Mr. Raines. You and your wife still have what it takes to make it back to where you were a year ago."

"_The man's been divorced three times Eliot. Call him on it." Nate's voice echoed in his head._

"Have you ever been married doc?"

"Three times."

"Then who are you to say if my marriage is worth saving?" The older man chuckled.

"I would like to say I learned from my mistakes. Your wife is a very strong woman Mr. Raines and she'll need some TLC before this is all over."

"Well it seems after today she doesn't want to have much to do with me."

"I promise you I can help you though this."

"_Ask him what's it going to cost you." Nate said._

"What's it going to cost me?" The older man smiled.

"Your weekend fee will cover most of the counseling. There may be some outside measures that may require a fee here and there."

"I'll take it into consideration." The older man stood.

"You two are meant for each other Mr. Raines. I know we can work this out." The man left and Eliot pushed his plate away and stood.

"_I'm headed for the van…I want this guy taken down now." _Eliot headed out the front door and to the van parked in the lot out of camera range. He made sure to keep to the shadows. He got there and Nate and Hardison were already inside. "Did you figure out how we're going to take this SOB out?"

"He will confess to the fraud." Nate looked at his hitter. Eliot looked like hell. He knew that it was tearing him up to treat Kenna badly. "We will get him to pay back all the couples he screwed and throw in a little extra before the ethics boards get a hold of him."

"Tell me you have a plan because I know it was it was all an act but you didn't see the look on Kenna's face when we were in that office."

"I know Eliot. I know." Nate looked at the screens Hardison had put up.

"We need to hack into the cameras and figure out when they are having one of those meetings to discuss couples. It's as unethical as they come. The couples went into those sessions thinking it was a one on one session."

"She was taking notes so maybe they have the notes locked up." Eliot looked at the monitors.

"Parker and Kenna are on it." Nate saw Eliot tense.

"You sent Kenna with Parker."

"Eliot, she can take care of herself." Nate soothed.

"But can she take care of herself and Parker?" Eliot went to the van door. "Damn it Nate what the hell were you thinking?" He got out and looked back at the two other men. "Where are they?"

"I looped the cameras in the wing that has the main office about a half hour ago. They should be back by now…or at the bar with Sophie." Eliot shook his head.

"Don't they have coms in?"

"Not if they're in the bar taking smack about us they don't." Hardison checked the bar camera. "Not there." Eliot slammed the door.

"Why didn't you just tell him she was back in their room?" Nate asked Hardison.

"And miss the vain bulge? No way." Nate looked at the hacker and resisted the urge to slap the younger man.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Eliot found Parker in the lobby of the conference center. He pointed to his faux wedding band. Parker shrugged her shoulders and went on reading the magazine she had stolen from some the office waiting room when her and Hardison had their little meeting. Eliot shook his head and headed to the elevator. Kenna was already on edge after the fight they put on to ease Sophie's mind about them working this job and then she pulled all the drama out of thin air this afternoon. Apparently they had gotten in and out of Gallardo's offices without incident. The elevator opened and Eliot got in and pushed the third floor. The ride seemed to take forever. When the door opened he shot down the hall and to his room. Sliding the key in the slot he opened the door and found Kenna lying on the bed reading a book.

"Hey."

"Hi." She didn't look up from the pages she was reading.

"Do you need anything before I get ready for bed?" She looked up. Shaking her head.

"I'm fine. How was your walk?"

"Good." She went back to her book.

"Leave the bathroom light on would you." She said not looking up.

"Sure. Did you call and check on the kids?"

"Yeah. Your mom said Hunter is teething and Charlotte said she loves you."

"I wish I could have talked to her." Eliot looked at Kenna. He wanted this to be over but then again being married, even for a con was kinda nice, even if he was the bastard husband.

"You can call her tomorrow." Eliot slid off his jeans and hung them over a chair and then took off his tee-shirt and draped it on top of them. Sliding into bed he lay on his back and offered Kenna his hand. She looked at him and smiled a small smile and took it. "Goodnight Eliot." She whispered.

"Night Kenna." Turning off the light Kenna slid under the covers and Eliot pulled her close and whispered. "Sweet dreams darlin'." In her ear and they both lay quietly for a long time before sleep came. When it did Kenna wished it hadn't because the strange dreams mixed with the lies of the con made sleep the last thing she wanted to do.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

The scream broke though the quiet night. Eliot clung to the hope that Kenna's dream would somehow not be heard by the microphones in every part of the room. He fought the urge to grip his hand over her mouth.

"Kenna." He hissed though his teeth. She stopped screaming but she bolted out of bed and started breathing hard. "Kenna!" Eliot stood up. He picked up his phone and texted Hardison to shut down the microphones in their room. He hopped the hacker wasn't sleeping. The man hardly slept but knowing his luck lately Hardison would be fast asleep. Kenna was backed up against the wall, her eyes closed.

"The kids…check the kids."

"Kenna…the kids are with my mom." Eliot wasn't sure if this was Kenna wide awake and alert keeping with the job or was it the dream mixing with their fake identity.

"He was dead."

"Who was dead?"

"Hunter." She was breathing hard. Eliot got a text from Hardison saying the bugs were off for at least ten minutes.

"Kenna honey, are you awake?"

"Eliot?"

"Yeah." She looked at him. "What happened?" He asked her.

"I told you about the dreams."

"Was this one bad?"

"I don't know. I know it was jumbled."

"Tell me about it."

"You were there…I was…pregnant and then…Hunter and Charlotte were there and it was just strange." Eliot sat down next to her.

"Maybe the stress of this job is getting to you?"

"Eliot I was having these dreams before the job. The pregnant part and the kid's part are new mind you but the rest it's just a dream." She looked at him. "Should we be…I mean the bugs."

"Hardison is jamming them for a few minutes."

"I'm okay. Eliot I'm sorry."

"For what darlin'?"

"Making this harder than it should be." Eliot put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

"Kenna your make this more interesting than it's ever been." Eliot smiled. "We have like a minute to figure out what were going to do before the bugs turn back on." Kenna took a deep breath.

"Let's do it." She pushed away from Eliot. "You don't even give a damn that I've been having these dreams since the baby was born and being that your sleeping on the couch every chance you get I guess you never heard them before this."

"I'll call my mom and check on the kids if it will make you happy."

"And give her a heart attack. I'll call in the morning." Kenna got into bed. "Have a good night on the couch." She threw him a pillow and rolled over and tried to find sleep once again. Eliot shook his head and grabbed the bed spread and headed for the very uninviting couch.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

Kenna knew that this was going to be harder than anything she ever did. She heard Eliot in the shower and wished she could go in there and wash away everything that was between them and start fresh. But that would never happen. There was way too much between them and it was never going to go away. Feeling a hand on her back she looked to see Parker behind her.

"The bugs are off for a few minutes. Hardison wants us all in our room in fifteen minutes. There's a meeting of the minds and Nate wants us to get what we need so we can get out of here."

"Thanks Parker." The thief nodded and handed her two cups of hot coco. Kenna smiled. She hoped hot chocolate was all it took to make the day better. Eliot came out of the bathroom.

"Someone here?"

"Parker brought us coco and to tell us there is a meeting of the minds in their room in fifteen minutes. Bugs back on in one." She handed him his cup.

"Not long enough to ravish you." He smiled.

"Too bad cause I could really… get dressed already will you. I need coffee before we get analyzed by the shrinks."

"This was your idea." He shot back. He grabbed his shirt and put it on.

"Whatever." She took her coco and headed to the bathroom.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

Nate sat next to Sophie on the couch and the rest of the team was scattered around the room. This was the big meeting. Hopefully this would put an end to the doctors' thievery. They sat waiting for the meeting to start.

"Maybe we should be out there being seen so they don't miss us." Kenna said.

"They're all at the meeting. It was scheduled at seven for a reason. The think we are all sleeping in or having breakfast. We have at least an hour." There was the sound of people entering the conference room. "Okay this is it people, lets shut him down." Hardison said as he started recording the meeting.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

They got everything they needed to make a case against Gallardo and then some. It was time to take it to the masses. There was a group meeting in fifteen minutes and they headed down to confront him.

"In and out girls and boys, in and out." Nate walked into the conference room and there were only a few people in the room and they didn't look like they were happy couples. "Maybe not." Kenna and Eliot took point as they walked toward the men.

"You hang back and play it close to the vest." Eliot said to Kenna. "They won't expect you." She nodded. They stepped in front of the men. Nate stood behind Eliot's shoulder.

"Is your boss around?"

"You don't need to talk to anyone but us." The man at the head of the group looked at Eliot.

"I would rather talk to Gallardo." Nate said. Eliot saw the first punch coming and acted accordingly. The next hit was to the big front man. Eliot hit him hard. A second man came and Eliot kicked him in the stomach. The third came barreling though Eliot but Kenna cloths lined him before he reached Nate. Three men were left standing but they didn't get any closer. Gallardo came out from behind a curtain.

"You want to talk to me Mr.…Crane is it?"

"Actually it's Ford…but who am I to stand on ceremony."

"These two had me fooled." He pointed to Kenna and Eliot. "I thought I could make some real money on them."

"You're not going to play on peoples marital problems anymore." Eliot said though clenched teeth. Hardison clicked a button on his lap top and the voices of the doctors and consolers at the meeting wafered though the room.

"_This bunch of saps will do anything and give anything to have their marriages back and we will give it to them." _

"I guess that's all we need to make sure you never do this again." Nate looked at the doctor, "And then there's the hard copies of all the sessions you taped, conning these people out of every cent they have."

"And the paper trail on all the transfers you made." Parker held up the files she had stolen from the safe last night. Gallardo knew that he had been beat at his own game. Now only a few loose ends needed tying up and all the couples that gave up their life savings would get most of it back and maybe be able to be happy once again.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Eliot threw his bag and Kenna's into the back seat of the truck. Nate came up to him.

"How is she doing?" Nate looked at Kenna talking to Parker and Sophie across the lot.

"Better now that she got to kick a little ass." Eliot answered with a smile.

"Why don't you go home and take a few days off. I think this was a little draining on all of us."

"That might be asking for trouble."

"Because of the cat?"

"The damn thing loves me. We just threw that in so Sophie would believe we were really at odds. Good call on that one by the way."

"She seemed a little nervous about smiles on your face earlier this week."

"Well know us it won't last long." Eliot watched Kenna walk across the parking lot. "How did you make it though when Maggie left?"

"You know I didn't." Nate looked at his hitter. "It took years and finding what I have with Sophie before I truly got over her."

"That long, huh?"

"Yep, but we had lots of baggage."

"Sounds familiar." Eliot put on his sunglasses. "See you on Monday." Kenna smiled at Nate and hugged Eliot. Nate watched them get into Eliot's truck. Someday the two of them would realize they belong together forever but till then they would just have to play it by ear.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

The End

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

When I started these stories my timeline was not where I wanted it to go…I wanted Eliot and Kenna a little older then I made them seem so if I refer to the years since Eliot left Kentucky as longer then I did in the first stories…Thanks for reading and look for The Long Road Home Job

COMING SOONIH


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